1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surface leveling tool which will not gouge the surface being sanded. Surfaces such as wood, plastic, paint and the like can be sanded by this tool with a flexible sanding head. Preferably, the tool is utilized in the placement of a plasticized sheet of flooring such as vinyl or linoleum over an existing deteriorated plasticized flooring.
Conventionally, a cement patch composition (plastic) is deposited over the old floor covering and troweled to a 1/16 to 3/8 inch thickness and allowed to cure for 1/2 to 1 hour. The cured cement patch composition functions to fill any existing cracks and uneven surfaces in the old floor covering. The cured cement surface of the patch, however, must still be smoothed in order to lay further adhesive for the new flooring sheet to adhere properly to the underlayment. The present invention permits the sanding of irregular surfaces in the cement patch, even under cabinets or the like, right up to the toe-kick molding.
The tool comprises a sandpaper surface applied to a J-shaped (cross-section) plastic insert support to form a sandpaper block which is clamped into the holder element by removable fasteners. The holder element has a handle which can vary from 6 inches to 6 feet. A removable terminal handle grip has a screwdriver insert for tightening or loosening the fasteners for replacement of a worn sandpaper block.
2. Description of the Related Art
The related art shows various forms of sanding tools. The art of interest will be discussed in the order of their perceived relevance to the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,698 issued on Dec. 5, 1995, to Paul, S. Francis et al. describes a hand tool having interchangeable accessories and a pivoting head. The frame has a hand grip bar and an arm brace for applying a downward force to the tool. The sandpaper is removably attached to a detachable flat baseplate made of rubber. There is no suggestion for adhering the sandpaper to the baseplate or to make the baseplate curvilinear as in the present invention. Moreover, the pivoting head is thick and would not reach the limited areas under kitchen floor cabinets with toe kicks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,179,807 issued on Jan. 19, 1993, to Donald W. Gupton describes a floor sanding device comprising a large rectangular pivoting shoe member (21.5 in. long and 1 ft. wide) attached to a long handle with an eye for a hand hold by a standing worker. The sandpaper sheet is attached to the shoe member at the front and the rear by six bolts with wingnuts. The cushioning member between the sandpaper sheet and the shoe member can be either sponge rubber or a synthetic foam. The thickness of the shoe member is increased in front and would not be suitable for cramped spaces, especially with three protruding wingnuts. The present invention requires a resilient sandpaper block unattached at the rear, which feature Gupton does not have or suggest.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,948 issued on May 6, 1980, to Arthur E. Nesseth describes a T-shaped planar paint scraper with a removable and reversible blade which has a smooth edge on one side and a toothed, serrated edge on the opposite side. The scraper blade is inserted into a slot and cannot be converted into a sandpaper edge.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,700 issued on May 21, 1985, to Joseph G. Pinto describes an adjustable scraper and sanding tool having a rectangular prismatoid housing pivoting on a grooved tubular handle which is threaded for insertion of a pole. A scraping element is attached to the handle and employed by turning the tool upside down. A clip-on support member with a pad apparently can support a sandpaper sheet over the clips. The presence of the scraper blade and the depth of the housing would prevent the use of this tool for narrow spaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,797 issued on Sep. 21, 1993, to Terry H. Milkie describes a manual sander for hookup to a vacuum source such as a household vacuum cleaner. The sander comprises a hollow housing (with a hollow handle) which accommodates a pivoting hook and threaded socket for a pole. The flat base portion has a sponge foam pad glued to its bottom for supporting a sandpaper sheet. The sandpaper sheet is held down in front and in the rear with an inverted box member and a wing nut on a bolt. The sander has a high profile and would not be suitable for sanding in narrow spaces. Moreover, the tool is intended for sanding high walls without resorting to stepladders.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,598 issued on May 10, 1994, to Joyce A. Carpenter describes a paint scraper kit having various scraper blade shapes and corresponding handles. The blades can have triangular, square and intersecting plate-like configurations. The scraping portions are a matrix of sharp projections. The handles can be curved or straight knobs which are removable with a lug and. a bore system. There is no suggestion for adding a sanding feature to the paint scraper kit.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,700 issued on Nov. 15, 1983, to Fredrick B. Burns describes a device for preparing a wall surface for painting. The square base member has a short handle connectable to a long pole for treating wall surfaces at a height. The handle has two parts which are the gripping member (cylindrical) and the connecting portion attached to the square base member. The handle pivots in the connecting portion. A scraper blade is positioned on the gripping member for use when the base member is apparently inverted. A square plate has front and end flanges for positioning on the base member. On the square plate is attached a square foam sponge having a fibrous surface surrounding a square surface of a nylon fiber containing abrasive cleaning particles. The two regions can be reversed. When any cleaning fluid is added to the sponge, the scrubbing of a painted wall can commence. There are no suggestions for utilizing sandpaper and for leveling floor material.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, a floor leveling tool solving the aforementioned problems is desired.